Apparatus for finning pipe



May 1, 1956 R. F. MOYER APPARATUS FOR FINNING PIPE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 22, 1951 INVENTOR.

R0 ERT F. MOYER ATTORNE S May 1, 1956 R. F. MOYER APPARATUS FOR FINNING PIPE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 22, 1951 May 1, 1956 R. F. MOYER 2,743,512

APPARATUS FOR FINNING PIPE Filed Aug. 22, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 n 4 4 Emir:

D F. 8 4 U a A .0} 8 8 m 5 7 2 ill 2 ll L n 4 w 1Q LG.

INVENTOR.

ROBERT F. MOYER BY WW4) 8% ATTORNEY May 1, 1956 R. F. MOYER APPARATUS FOR FINNING PIPE 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Aug. 22, 1951 R. F. MOYER 2,743,512

5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR.

ROBERT F. MOYER May 1, 1956 APPARATUS FOR FINNING PIPE Filed Aug. 22, 1951 Unitfid States Patent APPARATUSLFOR" EINNiNG PIPE Robert F. Moyer, "Providence, R. 1.,assigno'r; hy'm'e'sne assignments, to Naitional -Ur -sd kadiator (Eorporation, ea corporation rofrMaryland Application. August" 22; 1951, SerialNo."243,054 10 Claims. claw-202 "the-relatively larger .sleeve portion of each ifin over the "reducedne'c'k" portion of the sleeve'oftheprecedingfin. "In this "Way improvedheat conducting transfer isprovided "between the 'enlarge'd -sl'eeve portion of "each finand the reduced neekiportionoff the adjacent sleeve, as wellas betWeenthe reduced *neck'fportion"o f"'eaoh "fin "and the pipe.

"It is an" 'objecf'o'f the. present invention to "provide fins onpipes.

lt'isa'tu'r'ther object oftheipresent'invention to" provide apparatus operable" automatically to'advance 'a "succession o'f s'leeve'd'fins over a'-pipe and to seateach fin upon "the sleeve portion of the 'preceding fin era predetermined -'si'tbstantially constant pressure.

"It is" a further object or the present invention to provide fully automatic mechanism for fi'nning pipe "comprising meansfor suppor'ting the pipe fromone en'd, a plurality of carriers'rnoval'ale longitudinally er "the pipe, means for "supplying fins to the carriers as 'they advance 'toward the pipe, and meanson thecarners for supporting- 'sl'eeved 'fins 'for. applying eaeh -fin successively in fully seated relatiom -'-sliip with respect to thepreeeding fin. I I Other objects and features of the inventionwill become =apparent as the description proceeds espeeially* when taken in conjunction with .th'e'--'aecompanying-- drawings, wherein:

Figure-'1 isia fragmentary longitudinal section throu'gh xthe .earri'er zchainrarm and the earriers c'hain slide bracket.

t Figure 4ais a- 'section"on:the1line -4-'-4, Figure' .JEigUI'GL'S' is arfront'elevationiof lth'eflstructure' 'shown in z'Figur-e 3.

' :Figure :6 is :a. plan :vieW. similar to Figure 3 'sh'owingthe apart-s infposition'ito'release.a sleeved fin.

?'Figure 7 is: applan 'viewwof cammin-g "mechanism 'emiployedlineresetting the ifin: supportingd'evers Figure "8 :is'awside -e'levational viewrof the camrning "mechanism shown 'intFigure 7.

:Figure 9 :isa rearelevation of ithe'mechanism eat the loading station showing one of thersleevedfin carriers in :positioni thereat.

:Eigurei 10 is aasidefelevationtof the construction shown 1in Figure 9.

Referring now to the i drawings :the apparatus forming the subject matter idf the present invention is adapted "to provide heat conducting and radiating fins on a pipe. -in

, iperprovided withzfins 'as aceornplished by the appaftratus described :herein.

2,743,512 Patented May 1, 1956 Figure 1 there isillustrated at 10;a section of pipe provided with-a. plurality of sleevedfins 1-2, each fin comprising-a-flat radially extendingvfin portion 14, an enlarged tubularsleeve. portion= 16, and a reduced neck portion 18. 5 ln assemblingthefinsll onthepipe each fin is successively seated in the illustrated relationship so that its sleeve portion .16 is drawn overthe reduced neckportion l8 ofthe preceding-fin in tightly fitting relationship.

One of the advantages of the finned pipe when con- 10 istructedlin accordance With the present invention is that :indrawing each ofthe fins over the pipe it is possible that the reduced neck portion may be somewhat expanded due to variations in diameter of commercial piping longitudinally'thereof. 'However, even-though the reducedneck l5 portion 18 of aparticular fin may have been drawn over an enlarged portion of the'pipe '10 .prior to reaching its finaljposition it will nevertheless be pressed back into firrnheat conducting relationship With the pipe as the enlarged sleeve portion 16 of the next succeeding'fin is 20 drawn thereover. It will be appreciated thatthe enlarged sleeve portion'16 is of substantially larger diameter than the outside diameter of the pipe sothat in no 'casewillthis portion'ofthe fin be'ekpa'n'ded as it is drawnalong the pipe.

. At the juncture between the sleeve portion 16 and the reduced neck 'portio'n18there'is provided a shoulder 20 whieh servesas aseat limiting'inov'ernent of the next succeeding finonto'the pipe. This in turn insures unifotmsp'aeingbetweenfinned portions '14 and also serves as "'a.p'o'sitive stop for "the'advance "of eachfin, whichin the "operation of the machine has the effect of first "building up the pressure With which the finis' applied and thereafter "releasin'gthe fin holding means.

"in 'ofderto'carry out "the assembly of fins on a-pip'e in -arapitl and'efiicienomanner, 'mechanisr'nwhich is fully automatic its operation and which'is adapted to assemble "fins ata high production rate,"-is describedherein.

*Referringmow to'Fig'ure 2 there 'is'a simplified illustra- 'ti'on of thern'ec'hanism used primarily 'for the put-"pose of loca'ting the "component parts of the "apparatus With respect to each other. As seen in this figure the apparatus comprises a frame including a bed 22 which is l-ierein -fl-isposed of substantial length andarrange'd "horizontally. Aflopp'osite 'en'ds of th'e "framear'e sprockets 24, only'one *being=*visihle in Figure 2. fiver "the spr'o'ckets M is a -'cenveyor"in*the form or an endless chain 26 provided With 1a plurality of spaced carriers indicated '--generally at 28. A supportis pmvided fer the ipe, thesupp o'it being illilstr at ed at 30, and is a'dapte'ddo snp'po'rt th'e' pipe 10in position above and' par'allel to "the longi tifdinal "extent of uhe hed Thesnppert 3i) supports thepipe 'fro'mone end anti-leaves its other nd unsupp'ortedfor entering into the-opening thtough'the sleeved fins as th'ey are advanced serially by the carriers 28.

E xtendin'g 'along' the bed 22 at: opposite I sides thereof are pairs of longitudinally extending l'guides or ways =32. The' bed Z-Z'in'cldd'es inwardly extending flanges -34 which -==cooperate-with the' 'ways-filso as to provide enclos'ed traokwaystfo'r cooperation with carrier stipporting strucvturesubsequentlyto he dsecribed.

At the front of the machine thereisaprovided a loadfling station indicatedgenerally by the numeral 36 "Which includes-a vertically extending chute 38 in which arplurality of sleeved fins 12 are ,provided.

In .-.general the operation of the apparatus involves continuous 'advance'of "the chain "26 so thatits upper 'riun 'ineve's from rightto l'ftas seen in Figure 2. The

"plurality "of carriers is "thus caused to pass 'the loading station at which point each carrier picks up a single or the-pipe in position such that the ffin is sleeved-over the' pi-pe and pressed in-to asetnbled relationshipwith sleeved-fin. The earner "then anvanees longitudinallyrespect to the previously assembled fin. As a predetermined pressure is built up, the fin is released from the carrier and the carrier advances around the sprocket at the left or the rear of the machine and returns to the loading station to pick up a second fin.

Referring now to Figures 3-7 the carrier 28 comprises a carrier chain arm constituting a carriage which is rigidly secured to the chain and advances at a uniform rate therewith. Associated with the carrier chain arm 40 is a carrier chain slide bracket 42. The carrier chain slide bracket is relatively movable with respect to the carrier chain arm 48 and is guided for such movement by guide pins 44 extending through openings in the carrier chain arm 46} and through corresponding openings in shoulder bushings 46. Thus the carrier chain slide bracket is movable with respect to the carrier chain arm in a direction parallel to and opposite the direction of advance of the carrier.

Resilient means normally holding the slide bracket 42 in abutment against the carrier chain arm 40 are provided and as illustrated, take the form of headed bolts 48 extending through openings 49 in portions of the carrier chain slide bracket and are threaded to occupy tapped openings in portions of the carrier chain arm 40. pression springs which are compressed as the carrier chain slide bracket moves to the right relative to the carrier chain arm, as seen in Figures 3, 4, and 6.

The position of the parts when the carrier chain slide bracket 42 has moved to the right relative to the carrier chain arm 40 is illustrated in Figure 6.

The carrier chain slide bracket 42 has portions 52 at the end thereof which extend upwardly above the plane of the arm 40 and include forwardly extending portions 54 which overlie the carrier chain arm 40. The forwarding extending portions 54 of the slide bracket are each provided with an upwardly extending stripper bolt 56 and pivoted to each of these bolts is a fin seating lever 58. The bolts 56 are provided with heads 60 and compression springs 62 are provided intermediate the heads 60 and the levers 58 to normally retain levers 58 in position against washers 63 located above the upper surface of the forwardly extending portions 54 of the slide bracket 42.

Each of the levers 58 includes an arcuate fin carrying portion 64 as best illustrated in Figure 5. In addition, each of the levers 58 carries small leaf springs 66 for a purpose which will presently appear. The arcuate portions 64 are dimensioned so that they surround the sleeve portion of a sleeved fin and engage the radially extending flange portion thereof to a point substantially at the juncture between the fin portion and the sleeve portion thereof. The leaf springs 66 press against the sleeve portion of the fin and insure retention of the fin in the arcuate portions 64 of the levers 58 as the fins are carried from the loading station into assembled relation on the pipe.

In order to retain the levers 58 against swinging movement to release the fins until a predetermined and relatively large pressure has been applied to the assembled fin, the levers 58 are provided with elongated openended slots 68 having at least one side 70 thereof parallel to the direction of motion of the carrier and spaced rearwardly from the axis of the bolts 56.

The carrier chain arm 40 adjacent each end thereof includes an upwardly extending portion 72, the portion 72 being spaced apart so as to be received between the upwardly and forwardly extending portions 52 and 54 of the carrier chain slide bracket, as best illustrated in Figure 5. Provided on each of the upwardly extending portions 72 of the carrier chain arm are pins 74 carrying rollers 76 adapted to enter the slots 68 and to em gage the parallel surfaces 70 thereof. With the parts in the relationship illustrated in Figure 3 it will be ob- The headed bolts 48 are provided with cornserved that the surfaces 70 of the slots 68 engage the rollers 76 in such a manner that rearward swinging movement of the levers 58 is etfectively prevented. Moreover, this relationship is preserved as the carrier chain slide bracket 42 yields rearwardly from the direction of advance of the carrier chain arm 40 until the axes of the pins 74 pass the ends of the surfaces 70. At this time, since the yielding movement of the carrier chain slide bracket 42 was the result of pressure applied to the arcuate portions 64 of the levers, the levers will snap rearwardly to the position illustrated in Figure 6, this rearward swinging motion of the levers 58 being limited by engagement with buffers 78 provided on the carrier chain slide bracket 42.

The ends of the carrier chain arm 40 are provided with enlarged plates 80 to which are secured roller supports 82 carrying sets of rollers 84 spaced at lZO-degree angles with respect to each other and engageable with surfaces of guide plates 86 carried by the guides 32 and the overhanging flange 34. Thus, the carrier chain arm 40 is advanced continuously by the chain 26 in accurately supported relation determined by the rollers 84 and the surfaces of the guide plates 86.

As the carrier 23 advances a sleeved fin onto the pipe, the rollers 76 positively lock the levers 58 against rearward swinging movement until substantial resistance to forward movement of the fin is encountered. ,Thus, the fin is seated with its sleeve portion drawn firmly over the reduced neck portion of the preceding fin. by a combination of impact and continuously applied pressure. As the resistance to forward movement of the fin increases, forward movement of the slide bracket 42 is retarded until the levers 58 carried thereby reach a position in which the rollers 76 are at the open ends of the slot 68. At this time the pressure applied by the fins to the levers 58 establishes a relatively large force tending to rotate the levers to the right as seen in Figure 3, and this releasing movement of the levers takes place rapidly when the lovers are released by relative withdrawal of the rollers 76 from the slots. This rearward releasing swinging movement of the levers 58 of course releases the carrier chain slide bracket 42 for re turn movement into abutting relation against the rear surface of the carrier chain arm 40 under the influence of the springs 50 and this takes place while the levers 58 remain in the retracted or released position illustrated in Figure 6. By this operation the fin carried by the carrier has been assembled over the pipe and drawn into properly nested relation with the preceding fin and thereupon released.

The carrier continues its movement past the assembled fins and around the sprocket at the rear end of the frame and thence forwardly at the underside thereof. It is of course necessary to reset levers 58 in their original carrying position illustrated in Figure 3. The mechanism for accomplishing this purpose is best illustrated in Figures 7 and 8.

As seen in these figures the levers 58 engage a gradually inclined camming surface 90 with the result that the levers are moved axially of the pivot pins 56 against the compression of springs 62 until the levers are displaced beyond the ends of the rollers 76. At this time surfaces 22 of the levers engage cams 94 which causes the levers to swing to the position illustrated at the right in Figure 7 at which time the slots 68 in the levers are located in registry with and beyond the ends of the rollers 76. Thereupon the levers move beyond the end of a straight continuation 96 of the camming surface 90 and are pressed into assembled relation with the rollers 76 by the action of the compression springs 62. Thus, during the return motion the levers 58 are first moved outwardly beyond the roller 76, thereafter swung into registration with the roller 76, and finally released to be returned by the compression spring 62 to the reset position.

ment of said fin seating member rearwardly of the direction of advance of said carriage, a pivot support for said fin seating member having its axis perpendicular to the path of advance of said carriage, and lock means for said fin seating member effective to lock said fin seating member against swinging movement about the axis of its pivot support, said lock means being releasable upon predeter mined movement of said fin seating member relative to said carriage. t

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 in which said lock means comprises relatively slidable abutments on said carriage and fin seating member, said abutments having abutment surfaces which are disengageable upon predetermined rearward displacement of said fin seating member relative to said carriage.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 in which said lock means comprises an open ended slot and pin connection between said carriage and said fin seating member.

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 in which said lock means comprises a slot in said fin seating member having an open end toward the direction of advance of said carriage, and a pin on said carriage movable out of the open end of said slot as said fin seating member is displaced oppositely to the direction of advance of said carriage relative to said carriage.

5. Apparatus for assembling sleeved fins on pipe in which the sleeves of the fins are partially telescoped by the application of substantially equal forces to each fin as it is telescoped over the sleeve of the preceding fin which comprises: means for supporting a pipe from one end only thereof, a carriage movable longitudinally 'of the pipe from the unsupported end toward its supported end, means for advancing said carriage continuously at a uniform speed, a support movable relative to said carriage in a direction parallel to the line of advance of said carriage, resilient means opposing rearward yielding of said support, a fin seating lever on said support, a pivot element on said support having its axis perpendicular to the line of advance of said carriage, said lever 'being mounted on said element for swinging movement and for displacement axially thereof, spring means urging said lever toward said support, said lever and carriage having cooperating abutment means preventing swinging of said lever on said support until predetermined rearward displacement of said support relative to said carriage, and cam means operable during advance of said carriage after a fin seating operation to displace said lever axially on said pivot element to separate said abutment means and to thereafter swing said lever to a position in which said abutment means permit axial movement of said lever on said pivot element into operative position.

6. Apparatus for assembling sleeved fins on pipe in which the sleeves of the fins are partially telescoped by 1 the application of substantially equal forces to each fin as it is telescoped over the sleeve of the preceding fin which comprises: means for supporting a pipe from one end only thereof, a carriage movable longitudinally of the pipe from the unsupported end toward its supported end, means for advancing said carriage continuously at a uniform speed, a support movable relative to said carriage in a direction parallel to the line of advance of said carriage, resilient means opposing rearward yielding of said support, a fin seating lever on said support, a pivot element on said support having its axis perpendicular to the line of advance of said carriage, said lever being mounted on said element for swinging movement and for displacement axially thereof, spring means urging said lever toward said support, said lever and carriage having an open ended slot and pin connection between said lever and carriage efiective to hold said lever in operative position \vbile said pin remains in said slot, said slot being disposed parallel to the direction of advance of said carriage and having its open end disposed for movement of said pin out of said slot upon predetermined rearward displacement of said support relative to said carriage to provide for rearward swinging of said lever to inoperative position after the application of a predetermined force to a fin carried thereby, and cam means operable on said lever during continued advance to move said lever axially of said pivot element and to swing said lever toward operative position, said spring means being operable to move said lever axially on said pivot support to operative position in which said pin is located in said slot.

7. In tube finning apparatus, an endless chain, an arm rigidly connected to said chain to be advanced thereby, a bracket slidably connected to said arm for movement relative thereto in a direction parallel to the direction of chain advance, resilient means opposing movement of said bracket rearwardly away from said arm, a fin supporting lever on said bracket, means on said bracket mounting said lever for swinging movement rearwardly of the direction of chain advance, lock means effective to prevent rearward swinging of said lever, said lock means including portions disengageable upon predetermined rearward movement of said bracket to effect abrupt release of said lock means' 8. Structure as defined in claim 7 in which a pair of said levers are provided on said bracket, each,of said levers having an arcuate finengaging portion of substantially 180 degrees arcuate extent.

9. Pipe finning apparatus comprising a pipe support, assembly means for assembling fins having tubular sleeve portions and fiat fin portions at one end of the sleeve portions onto the pipe, said assembly meanscomprising a first member movable longitudinally of the pipe, a second member carried by said first member and movable rearwardly therefrom, resilient means connected to said second member to oppose rearward movement thereof relative to said first member, lever means on said second member mounted for rearward swinging movement thereon in assembling fins on the pipe, said lever means including fin engaging means of arcuate shape adapted to support a fin for advance over the pipe with the finned end of the sleeve portion foremost, said fin engaging means substantially completely surrounding the sleeve portion of the fin and engaging the rear side of the fin portion thereof closely adjacent to the sleeve portion, and engageable abutment means on said lever means and said first member responsive solely to pressure developed in drawing the sleeve portion of the fin carried by said lever means over the sleeve portion of the preceding fin on the pipe to lock said lever means against any rearward swinging until a predetermined pressure has been developed by said resilient means and then to effect abrupt release of said lever means for substantially free rearward swinging movement.

10. In pipe finning apparatus, an arm adapted for forward movement longitudinally of a pipe to be finned, a bracket movable rearwardly from said arm, a plurality of guide pins interconnecting said arm and bracket, resilient means operatively engaged with said bracket to urge said bracket toward said arm, a finv supporting lever on said bracket, lock means including engageable parts on said arm and on said lever preventing rearward swinging movement of said lever while said parts are engaged, said parts being shaped to disengage upon predetermined movement of said bracket rearwardly with respect to said arm.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Germany July 8, 1919 

